Focomat 1c questions.

[Zathras]

Zathras, that's amazing! I had a friend who was a repairer of everything to do with Leitz. From his 18th he went to Wetzlar almost every year, to be trained and get to know new products. He had a darkroom with the Ic and the IIc and we spoke about the possibility to give an existing Ic condenser the AN surface like the one of the Valoy II. He told me yes, but felt the AN ring Leitz had made was the more practical solution.

Your story: it sounds like someone had the same idea. Is it possible to show this in a couple of pictures? Sorry, it would involve taking out the condenser. If you can do this, make sure you have something soft on a table, just in case.
Your story implies your Ic needs the thin spacer only. (the very flat ring the condenser rests on). You can check this.

Hilo,

I will need a couple of days to get a picture of the condenser, as my home and darkroom are 30 miles apart.
I will post the pictures as soon as I can get to my darkroom and remove the condenser to photograph.
This condenser is marked -N- on the side, so I always thought that it was a factory option.

I'll post the pictures in this thread as soon as I can.

 

[Chris Coppola]

this community is amazing. I took all the wiring out of the lamp head today, removed and cleaned the condenser lens. Then cleaned the inside of the “egg”. My condenser lens has an “N” on the side. Is this condenser itself an anti Newton condenser or should I 3d print the spacer slip for the condenser?

 

[Chris Coppola]

Hilo,

I will need a couple of days to get a picture of the condenser, as my home and darkroom are 30 miles apart.
I will post the pictures as soon as I can get to my darkroom and remove the condenser to photograph.
This condenser is marked -N- on the side, so I always thought that it was a factory option.

I'll post the pictures in this thread as soon as I can.

I just read this. My condenser lens also is marked “N”. Does this mean I do not need the AN spacer slip?

 

[Don_ih]

Look at the face of the condenser and see if it looks slightly frosted. If so, it's an anti-newton surface. The N, as far as I know, does not mean anti-Newton ring.

 

[Matthew Tapson]

Hi, I'm new here, but I picked up a non working 1C late last year and stripped it and restored it. It was pretty straightforward to do. It's now in excellent working condition and a really beautiful piece of equipment, built to an extremely high level of quality. I've been using it and very happy with it. Here are a few pics including a before pic. Also the wiring diagram which is pasted in the wiring cover - a better quality version also linked by Don in the other thread. I replaced the baseboard with a piece of laminated bamboo, bigger than the original. Also I popped in a Nikon 50mm 2.8N. Mine has the Anti Newtonian condenser ring and the filter drawer too.



I'm happy to answer any questions on this if I know the answer.

Cheers, Matt.

 

[koraks]

Welcome to Photrio @Matthew Tapson and congratulations on the refurbishment of your Leitz! Great job - and the glass of red wine was a well-deserved reward.

 

[Matthew Tapson]

Welcome to Photrio @Matthew Tapson and congratulations on the refurbishment of your Leitz! Great job - and the glass of red wine was a well-deserved reward.

Thank you! Glass of wine is definitely an essential at that point!

 

[Don_ih]

I should note that the connections in this terminal block

at least in mine, were all loose and arcing a little. Same with the connections to the socket at the top of the post - which you can't tighten without pulling everything apart. So, if you have one that hasn't been rewired, it's probably the best idea to at least skip all that wiring by running the cord directly to the light.

 

[Don_ih]

And does anyone else think the lever that lowers the condenser should be on the other side?

 

[Matthew Tapson]

Same with the connections to the socket at the top of the post - which you can't tighten without pulling everything apart. So, if you have one that hasn't been rewired, it's probably the best idea to at least skip all that wiring by running the cord directly to the light.

Yes, getting the terminals back up the post was the most frustrating part of the job as plug point at the top doesn't seem to have any way of being removed. So very fiddly.

 

[Hilo]

Hi, I'm new here, but I picked up a non working 1C late last year and stripped it and restored it. It was pretty straightforward to do. It's now in excellent working condition and a really beautiful piece of equipment, built to an extremely high level of quality. I've been using it and very happy with it. Here are a few pics including a before pic. Also the wiring diagram which is pasted in the wiring cover - a better quality version also linked by Don in the other thread. I replaced the baseboard with a piece of laminated bamboo, bigger than the original. Also I popped in a Nikon 50mm 2.8N. Mine has the Anti Newtonian condenser ring and the filter drawer too.

View attachment 389816 View attachment 389818 View attachment 389819 View attachment 389820

I'm happy to answer any questions on this if I know the answer.

Cheers, Matt.

That deserves a round of applause !!! I love the picture where all the parts are disconnected.

Two remarks about your filter tray: the small part that you use to pull it out is bent upwards. It should just stick out almost horizontally. Is that perhaps because the filter tray does not come out easily? It should.

And you're missing the long guide pin in the rear of this tray. I had one like that and bought an aluminum stick in the hardware store and just attached it to the holder with a screw that 'bit' itself into the aluminum. I can give you the length and diameter of this stick.

 

[Hilo]

And does anyone else think the lever that lowers the condenser should be on the other side?

nope. to the contrary! perhaps Don, you have your Ic upside down !

 

[Matthew Tapson]

That deserves a round of applause !!! I love the picture where all the parts are disconnected.

Two remarks about your filter tray: the small part that you use to pull it out is bent upwards. It should just stick out almost horizontally. Is that perhaps because the filter tray does not come out easily? It should.

And you're missing the long guide pin in the rear of this tray. I had one like that and bought an aluminum stick in the hardware store and just attached it to the holder with a screw that 'bit' itself into the aluminum. I can give you the length and diameter of this stick.

Ah! Thanks for that. So that lever which lifts out the filters does actually look bent, and your description of the pin explains why getting the filter tray in straight is a bit hit and miss! I took a look with a magnifying glass now and can see where the guide rod has sheared off. This will also help with the light that leaks out through the guide hole. Thanks for that info!

 

[Don_ih]

nope. to the contrary! perhaps Don, you have your Ic upside down !

No, I mean in general. I'd like it to be on the other side, since I feed the film in from the right.

 

[Hilo]

Ah! Thanks for that. So that lever which lifts out the filters does actually look bent, and your description of the pin explains why getting the filter tray in straight is a bit hit and miss! I took a look with a magnifying glass now and can see where the guide rod has sheared off. This will also help with the light that leaks out through the guide hole. Thanks for that info!

the long guide rod is about 17cm long and precisely 8mm thick. The precise length is not critical.

Yes, that hole leaks light. Leitz actually included a white 'stop' that closed off the hole when not using the filter tray. The slot on the other side, when without tray, was covered by a metal 'cap', much like the one attached to your filter tray.

I will attach some pictures later . . . you will understand how far to bend back the lever . . .

 

[Hilo]

No, I mean in general. I'd like it to be on the other side, since I feed the film in from the right.

I think about 40 years ago I had the same thought, then decided to always keep the condenser in its lower position and just lower the entire head slowly on to the negative. Gives me a better possibility to correct placement of the negative when needed.

 

[Hilo]

the long guide rod is about 17cm long and precisely 8mm thick. The precise length is not critical.

Yes, that hole leaks light. Leitz actually included a white 'stop' that closed off the hole when not using the filter tray. The slot on the other side, when without tray, was covered by a metal 'cap', much like the one attached to your filter tray.

I will attach some pictures later . . . you will understand how far to bend back the lever . . .

some pictures:

 

[Loren Sattler]

Interesting stories. I have a 1C and a Beseler 23C and love using the 1C for 35mm. Mine has the anti newton condenser but I still occasionally get newton rings. I am curious about those using the masks to prevent this. One of the features of the Leitz is having the negative press against the condenser glass insuring negative flatness similar to a glass negative holder. When using a mask does the negative lay fully flat?

 

[Don_ih]

When using a mask does the negative lay fully flat?

It will be as flat as it can be with a frame that has an opening only uncovering the image. If the negative is heavily bowed, it might touch the condenser in the middle. Given the way most negatives are curved (when they are curved), I think the mask would mostly keep them flat.

 

[Matthew Tapson]

some pictures:


View attachment 389838

Thanks for the pics Hilo. Your enlarger looks like it's in mint condition. Looks like an easy fix to get my filter drawer sorted out. Thanks again.

 

[Hilo]

Thanks for the pics Hilo. Your enlarger looks like it's in mint condition. Looks like an easy fix to get my filter drawer sorted out. Thanks again.

Yes, it is not difficult. The only thing I would be very careful with is bending back the lever. You probably do not know if this lever was already bent back and forth.

 

[Hilo]

Look at the face of the condenser and see if it looks slightly frosted. If so, it's an anti-newton surface. The N, as far as I know, does not mean anti-Newton ring.

This I think as well !

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I believe the N on the condenser is just for orientation.

If you don't have the anti-Newton condenser then consider trying to get the filter or just make something yourself. My first Focomat didn't have one and I'd run into Newton rings. The cleaner you are, the more likely you will get Newton rings. You can use Corn Starch to eliminate them but that is not ideal. The Corn Starch is too fine to show up in a print. To make something yourself you just need some anti-Newton glass or plexi. You can look for a medium format slide mount that is anti-Newton and rob the glass out of it. To make this holder I used some anti glare plexi I found at Home Depot intended for framing. I also use the plexi for smooshing negs down on the scanner glass when I scan that way. I don't know if they have it anymore but it isn't expensive. I don't use this holder anymore since I found another Focomat complete with the AN filter. This holder also has coated glass on the bottom which is probably overkill.

 

[Hilo]

. . . . . Mine has the anti newton condenser but I still occasionally get newton rings . . . .

Loren, what do you mean when you say this? Leitz did not make an anti newton condenser for the Focomat Ic. They made a seperate AN glass that we can slide over the bottom of the Ic condenser.

 

[Hilo]

2 pictures:

First the Leitz made holders for the Valoy II and the Focomat Ic. These are actually mentioned in at least one early Leitz catalog. The design to me looks great, but in fact I find the flaps too high. They come a little too close to the lens. The holder for the Ic needs a longer shoulder screw, than it does with the red filter. Most Leitz enlarger parts are more easily found in Europe, but not these holders. I have found or seen them in the US only.

In the second picture the modification of the Omega holder for both enlargers. Left for the Focomat Ic, right for the Valoy II.
This holder is not rare and they come up now and then at okay prices. The open design at the front, and the lower flaps, make it easier to use.